The Hoosier offense will continue to come around, and as it does, you might see IN experience more big wins like the victory over Michigan State last week.
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Joe Thomas could probably block the entire Ohio State defensive line on his own.
Offensively, the passing game never really developed for Ohio State. Also, the Badgers remember getting waxed by Ohio State last season by a score of 59-0. It was too close for Buckeye coach Urban Meyer, who liked what he saw from Indiana.
Samuel, who leads the team with 168.2 yards of all-purpose yards per game, touched the ball nine times against the Hoosiers for 82 yards. The college football odds for the game have the Buckeyes listed as a massive favorite to pick up the victory at home.
Ohio State didn’t need to pass. Overall in his 15-year head coaching career, Meyer is 158-27. That mark includes season openers.
Yes, it was a win, but it didn’t always look that way on the field or feel that way in the post-game interview room, even though this is a vastly-improved IU coming off a signature victory over 2015 Big Ten champion and College Football Playoff participant Michigan State. They are third in the Big Ten in points allowed (12.2 a game) but eleventh in points scored (25.6 a game). The Buckeyes rank No. 3 in the nation with 332.0 rushing yards per game, the largest part of what enables Meyer’s club to average 57 points per contest this season. J.T. Barrett has thrown for 888 yards and 14 touchdowns while rushing for 205 yards and three scores.
Barkley averaged 6.5 yards on 31 carries.
“We were in some good plays sometimes, and whether it (was) me messing up on an assignment or a read, or a receiver messing up or the O-line messing up, we just weren’t clicking on all cylinders on all units on offense at times”, a subdued Barrett said Monday.
No. 16 has so many different weapons around him, that the coaching staff doesn’t have to rely on his dual abilities as much as previous years. Redding is successful because he hits holes hard and keeps his feet moving.
Ohio State: The Buckeyes’ defense played tough and kept Ohio State in the game. Taysom Hill ran for a touchdown and threw for another in the second half, and the Cougars largely shut down the Spartans after Michigan State scored a touchdown on its first drive. Barrett has been sharp in all four games. He carried the ball 26 times.
This performance by Barrett of the Buckeyes won’t help his Heisman candidacy.
The running game clicked best on two drives. He’s the ideal center fielder for this Ohio State defense that likes to put its corners on an island and get in your face. Opponents have had eight red zone chances and managed one touchdown and three field goals. Safety Malik Hooker’s four interceptions tie him for most in the country. Two of Ohio State’s three first-half touchdown drives began inside the IU 10-yard line after IN mistakes.
Either way, the scarlet and gray took a 14-point lead into halftime. Just 23 percent selected the team in Cleveland to trump the one in Columbus. This time, it’s an interception by Indiana’s Patrick Dougherty.
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PURDUE 34, IL 31, OT (at Champaign, Ill.) – Freshman kicker J.D. Dellinger hit a 28-yard field goal in overtime to lead the Boilermakers (3-2, 1-1) over the Illini. There’s little to give an expectation that that will not be 0-29 sometime early Saturday evening.
